Rotary fluid handling device

ABSTRACT

A rotary fluid handling device, such as a hydraulic pump, comprising a housing defining a cylindrical chamber, a shaft journalled in the housing and coaxial with the chamber, a cylindrical cam eccentrically mounted on said shaft within the chamber, a cylindrical sleeve rotatably surrounding said cam, the chamber space around said sleeve being divided into a plurality of similar compartments by radial blades or partition members slidable in slots of the housing and urged against the sleeve. Rotation of the cam produces cyclic decrease and increase of the volume of the compartments in succession to provide for the pumping effect in the case of a pump. Each compartment has its own inlet and outlet port. Each outlet port has a check valve. The inlet ports are arranged along a circle coaxial with the shaft. A valve member is keyed on the shaft and provides an inlet port closing surface extending through half a circle to therefore close half the inlet ports at the same time and to successively open the inlet ports with rotation of the shaft. The pump can be easily converted into a hydraulic motor. Means are provided to angularly shift the valve member for the inlet ports with respect to the top dead center position of the cam, in order to retard or advance the admission of fluid into the compartments, resulting in a variable flow pump or motor. A new centrifugal type governor system, in the form of a pump acting as a turbine, produces increase of the fluid pressure in a cylinder which acts on the piston to move the same axially of the shaft, to thereby produce angular shifting of the valve member with respect to the shaft. The hydraulic type governor system can be applied to other uses.

United States Patent [191 Marceau I 1 Mar. 12, 1974' ROTARY FLUID HANDLING DEVICE [75] Inventor: Rene Marceau, Honfleur, Quebec,

Canada [73] Assignee: Robert Marcoux, St. Marie, Quebec,

Canada [22] Filed: June 14, 1972.

[21] Appl. No.: 262,650

[52] US. Cl ..;4l7/294, 418/40, 418/61 R,

' 418/63 [51] Int. Cl..., F04b 49/02, F010 21/12, F04c 15/02 [58] Field of Search 418/40, 41, 42, 43, 44,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,713,828 7/1955 Huber 418/61 2,916,999 12/1959 .Christenson 418/248 Primary Examiner-Carlton R. Croyle Assistant Examiner-Richard Sher [57] ABSTRACT A rotary fluid handling device, such as a hydraulic pump, comprising a housing defining a cylindrical chamber, a shaft journalled in the housing and coaxial with the chamber, a cylindrical cam eccentrically mounted on said shaft within the chamber, a cylindrical sleeve rotatably surrounding said cam, the chamber space around said sleeve being divided into a plurality of similar compartments by radial blades or partition members slidable in slots of the housing and urged against the sleeve. Rotation of the cam produces cyclic decrease and increase of the volume of the compartments in succession to provide for the pumping effect in the case of a pump. Each compartment has its own inlet and outlet port. Each outlet port has a check valve. The inlet ports are arranged along a circle coaxial with the shaft. A valve member is keyed on the shaft and provides an inlet port closing surface extending through half a circle to therefore close half the inlet ports at the same time and to successively open the inlet ports with rotation of the shaft. The pump can be easily converted into a hydraulic motor. Means are provided to angularly shift the valve member for the inlet ports with respect to the top dead center position of the cam, in order to retard or advance the admission of fluid into the compartments, resulting in a variable flow pump or motor. A new centrifugal type governor system, in the form of a pump acting as a turbine, produces increase of the fluid pressure in a cylinder which acts on the piston to move the same axially of the shaft, to thereby produce angular shifting of the valve member with respect to the shaft. The hydraulic type governor system can be applied to other uses.

11 Claims, 25 Drawing Figures PATENTEU IAR I 2 I974 SHEET 3 BF 6 Fig. 9

- PATENTEU AR 1 2 I974 SHEEI 6 BF 6 ROTARY HANDLING DEVICE function of the speed of rotation of the shaft of the device.

An important object of the present invention resides in the provision of a rotary fluid handling device having smaller overall dimensions than various known types of fluidpumps and motors of the same capacity.

Another important object of the invention resides in a the provision of a fluid handling device in which friction is reduced to a minimum, because there is a minimum of movable parts in slidable fluid-proof contact with stationary parts. I

Another object of the invention resides in a rotary fluid handling device of the variable flow type, in which the flow is changed by retarding or advancing the admission of fluid with respect to the dead center position of the cam which rotates within the pump or motor proper.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a simple centrifugally-operated governor for shifting the angular position of the inlet port valve with respect to the shaft, so as to vary the flow as a function of the speed of rotation.

Another object of the invention resides in a simple means to vary theshaft speed range in which the governor is effective.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a fluid handling device of the character described, which is of simple and inexpensive construction, having minimum of parts.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a longitudinal section of the fluid handling device in the form of a variable flow hydraulic pump,

in which the flow is a function of the speed of rotation of the shaft; thissection is taken on line 1-1 of FIG. 11 as far as the housing of the pump proper is concerned;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the inside face of the end cover defining the fluid admission chamber and the governor cylinder;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the outside face of the end cover of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of the centrifugallyoperated piston member for the governor assembly;

FIG. 5 is an elevation of the pressure side of the piston of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section, taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 4 but showing the piston keyed to the shaft shown in section along line 6-6 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 7 is an elevation of the valve member for the intake ports;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an elevation of the housing plate forming the intake ports; 7

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectionv taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an elevation of the main housing part showing the outlet face;

FIG. 12 is a longitudinal section of the main housing part, taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a partial cross-section of the main housing part, taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 1.4 is a partial perspective view of the shaft and cam mounted theron;

FIG. 15 is a side elevation of the pressure face of the plate forming valve seats for the check valves closing the outlet ports of the device;

FIG. 16 is an elevation of the plate of FIG. 15, shown at its opposite face;

FIG. 17 is a partial longitudinal section taken along line 17-17 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is an elevation of the cover plate on the outlet side of the device, showing its inner face;

FIG. 19 is a side elevation of the cover plate of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is an elevation of the cover plate of FIGS. 18 and 19, showing its outer face;

FIG. 21 is a cross-section of the: assembled, device, taken along line 21-21 of FIG. I;

FIG. 22 is a schematic view of the relation of the cam, housing and rotary inlet valve: for maximum flow and zero flow; 7 I

FIG. 23 is a longitudinal section of another embodiment of the inlet valve; and

FIGS. 24 and 25 are end elevations of the main housing part showing a modified system for urging the blades against the cam.

In the drawings, like reference characters indicate like elements throughout.

Referring to FIG. 1, the device of the present invention will first be described as a variable flow hydraulic pump with the variation of the flow being controlled by a centrifugally-operated governor system. The device comprises: a housing, generally indicated at I, and consisting of various parts bolted together, said parts comprising an end cover 2 defining a fluid admission chamber and cylinder for the centrifugally-operated governor, a housing part 3-forming the intake ports, a hous- 4 ing main part 4 defining the pumping chamber, a housing part 5 forming the valve seats for the outlet ports, and an outlet cover part 6. End cover '2 is secured to housing part 3 by means of bolts 7 all around the periphery of the housing, while housing parts 4, 5, and 6 are secured to part 3 by means of bolts 8, also extending all around the periphery of the housing 1. The junction between parts 3, 4, 5, and 6 is made fluid-proof by means of Orings 9, 10, 11, and 12, as these junctions are submitted to high fluid pressure.

Housing part 4 defines a central cylindrical chamber 13. A shaft 14 is mounted within the housing 1 and is coaxial with chamber 13. The end 15 of shaft 14. protrudes from the housing 1 at cover part 6 and is adapted to be driven by a suitable motor. The opposite end 16 of the shaft 14 is journalled by means of needle bearing 17 in a recess 18 made in end cover 2. The shaft is further journalled by means of needle bearings 19 and 20 in parts 3 and 5 immediately on each side of chamber 13.

A cylindrical cam 22 (see FIGS. 1, 14 and. 21) is mounted on shaft 14 and is preferably integrally formed there-with, the cylindrical surface of cam 22 being eccentric to the axis of shaft 14. The cam 22 is substantially coextensive with the chamber 13 and the end faces of the cam are therefore in sliding contact with the adjacent flat faces of housing parts 3 and 5.

A cylindrical sleeve 23 is freely rotatably mounted on cam 22 by means of needle bearings 2A. The sleeve 23 is coextensive with cam 22 and its ends are slidable on the adjacent flat faces of housing parts 3 and 5.

Sleeve 23 does not rotate with shaft 14 but accomplishes an'eccentric movement within chamber 13.

Referring to FIG. 21, it will be seen that the outside cylindrical surface of sleeve 23 is eccentric with respect to cylindrical chamber 13 and its zone at a maximum distance from the axis of shaft 14 may even make contact with the surface of chamber 13. Rotation of the shaft will therefore cause radial reciprocating movement of any given longitudinal zone of the sleeve 23 within chamber 13 with very little rotational displacement of the sleeve with respect to housing part 4.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 11, 12, and 21, housing main part 4 is provided with a plurality, for instance twelve slots 25, which open within chamber 13, each radially directed with respect to the chamber 13 and extending in longitudinal planes passing through the axes of rotation of shaft 14. These slots extend throughout the thickness of housing part 4 and, therefore, open at both faces thereof. These slots have enlarged radially outer ends 26. The slots are equally angularly spaced around chamber 13 and each receives a partition member in the form of a flat blade 27 slidable in the slot for radial reciprocating movement. Each blade 27 is coextensive with the chamber 23 and, therefore, its ends are in slidable contact with housing parts 3 and 5. The radially inner edge of each blade 27 is in fluid-proof contact with sleeve 23. The blades 27 are each urged radially inwardly against sleeve 23 by means of a compression coil spring 28 lodged within a radial bore 29 of housing part 4, abutting against the back of the associated blade 27 at the center of the blade and having its other end abutting against a setscrew 30 screwed within the outer end of bore 29 at the peripheral outer face of the housing.

Preferably, fluid under pressure isadditionally admitted behind blades 27 to urge the latter in contact with sleeve 23. For this purpose, the enlarged outer ends 26 of slots 25 are in communication with a circular manifold groove 31 at the pressure side of housing part 4 and said manifold groove 31 is in communication with one or more passages 32 (see FIGS. 15, 16, and 17) in communication with an outlet manifold chamber 33 made in cover part 6. Thus, the fluid under pressure in chamber 33 is admitted behind each blade 27.

As an alternative, shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, coil springs 28 may be entirely dispensedwith and, while using the fluid under pressure behind blades 27 to urge the same in contact with sleeve 23 during operation of the pump, each enlarged end 26 of slots 25 in housing part 4-is fitted with a tube 80, of rubber or the like elastic material, to initially urge the blade against sleeve 23 at the start of the pump, until the pressure is built up. These rubber tubes 80 are loose fitting within the slot ends 26' to admit fluid under pressure behind the blade.

The blades 27 therefore divide the part of the chamber surrounding sleeve 23 into a plurality of variable volume compartments 34.'Each compartment is associated with an inlet port and an outlet port. Each outlet port comprises a bevelled notch 35 made at the pressure face of housing part 4 between two adjacent slots 25. Each notch is disposed in register with a hole 36 made in housing part 5, said hole being in communication with the annular manifold outlet chamber 33 made in cover part 6. Said chamber 33 is in communication with the exterior through lateral outlet passage 37, as shown in FIGS. 18, 19, and 20, said passage opening within a connection nipple 38.

Each hole 36 provides a valve seat for a ball 39 urged against the valve seat by a compression coil spring 40 located in a blind bore 41 made in housing part 6, said bore 41 being in lateral communication with manifold chamber 33. Each ball 39 therefore provides a check valve which opens under pressure within the associated compartment 34 and closes the outlet port when the pressure in manifold chamber 33 is greater than in the compartment 34 associated with the check valve.

Each inlet port comprises a bevelled notch 42, made in housing part 4 between two adjacent slots 25. Each notch 42 is in communication with an associated blind bore 43 made in housing part 3. Each blind bore 43 communicates through lateral opening 44 with the outside of the chamber 13. Lateral openings 44 are of generally rectangular shape, as shown in FIG. 10, and are formed at a radially inwardly directed surfaceof revolution, namely a cylindrical surface, indicated at 45, which is coaxial with the axis of rotation of shaft 14.

Cylindrical surface 45 constitutes the outer side of an annular groove 46, made in part 3 and opening at the low pressure face thereof. I

The inlet ports, composed of passages 44, 43,42, are closed in succession by a valve member 47 which rotates with shaft 14. Said valve member 47 is shown in FIGS. 1, 7, and 8. It has a hub 48 surrounding shaft and protruding from one end of a head 49, which defines a cylindrical recess 50 at one end of the valve. The cylindrical wall of said recess 50 is journalled by means of needle bearing 51 on the radially inner cylindrical surface of notch46 of housing part 3, while there is interposed an axial thrust bearing 52between the bottom of recess 50 and housing part 4. The flat outer face of head 49 has a slight clearance with the bottom of recess 46.

The radially outer peripheral cylindrical surface 53 of head 49 forms a surface of revolution coaxial with shaft 14 and in sliding fluid-proof contact with the surface of revolution 45 of housing part 3.

Outer surface 53 extends around the shaft 14 the extent of half a circle, so that the remaining portion of head 49 forms an annular recess 54 for establishing communication between the inlet ports opposite said recess and admission chamber 55 defined by cover part 2, as shown in FIG. 1.

Preferably, recess 54 does not extend throughout the entire thickness of head 49 so that, opposite recess 54, there is formed a radial flange 56 extending between the bottom of groove 46 and the adjacent ends of inlet port openings 44.

Admission chamber 55 is supplied with fluid, such as oil, through admission opening 57 extending laterally through cover part 2 and ending in a connection nipple 58, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, having threads for connection to suitable piping connected to a supply fluid. Thus, oil is admitted to the compartments 34 through these inlet ports which are successively closed by the valve 47 which rotates with shaft 14.

This valve 47 is provided, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, with a plurality of blind bores 59 for dynamically balnal grooves 62 will cause shifting of the angular position of the valve 47 withrespect to shaft 14, because balls 61 ride in helical grooves 60 of the valve member. However, valve 47 is not moved longitudinally of shaft 14.

Obviously, the relative positions of grooves 60 and 62 could be inverted, namely helical grooves 60 may be made in the shaft 14 and longitudinal grooves made at the inside surface of valve hub 48. i

In accordance with a feature of the invention, longitudinal positioning of balls 61 is achieved by a simple hydraulically-operated governor system responsive to the'speed of rotation of shaft 14. The cover 2 forms a cylindrical chamber 63 coaxial with shaft 14 and closed at the outer end of the housing 1 and in full communication with admission chamber 55.

Arotary piston 64 has a loose fit within cylindrical chamber 63'and is axially displaceable therein. Piston 64 has a sleeve-like hub 65 fitted on the reduced portion 14 of shaft 14 for longitudinal displacement between step 66 of the shaft 14 and a ring 67 carried by the shaft adjacent the closed end of cover 2.

The outer end of hub 65 is provided with two diametrically opposed holes 68 for receiving balls 61, said balls protruding inside and outside of the sleeve. Thus, the balls serve to lock the rotary piston 64 against rotation relative to shaft 14.

A compression coil spring 69 surrounds the hub 48 of valve member 47 and abuts against the head 49 of said valve member at one end and against the rotary piston 64 at the other end, so as to urge said piston away from admission chamber 55 into a limit position against ring67.

More particularly, spring 69 abuts against the bottom of an annular recess 70 made inthe admission side of piston 64 and surrounding hub 65.

FIG. 1 shows the limit position attained by piston 64 against hydraulic pressure in cylinder 63. In this posi tion, the angular relationship of the valve 47 with respect to the dead center positions of the cam 22 and, consequently, of sleeve 23, is such that the valve opens the inlet ports of all of the compartments 34 which are in the process of expanding and closes the inlet ports of all the compartments 34 which are in the process of contracting.

Means are provided to decrease the pressure differential between admission chamber 55 and cylinder 63. Abypass leakage piping 75 connects lateral openings 76 and 77 in direct communication with cylinder 63 and admission chamber 55 respectively. A flow adjusting valve 78 is series connected in the bypass tube 75, whereby progressive opening of the valve 78 will decrease the differential pressure existing between chambers 55 and 63.

Referring to FIG. 1, a sealing gasket 79 is interposed between shaft 14 and the housing part 6.

Valve member 47 and the inlet ports could be moditied in the following manner:

Referring to FIG. 23, the valve member 47 is a flat disc 81 applied against the bottom of a cylindrical recess 46' of housing part 3' and provided with a sleevelike hub 48 having internal helical grooves, such as grooves 60 of valve member 47. The disc is provided with a semi-annular slot 82 coaxial with the axis of rotation of the valve and in register with inlet ports 86 extending axially of part 3', all around said part and in communication with the shallower notches 42 of main housing part 4'. The valve member is provided with a suitable thrust bearing 83 to prevent separation of the valve member from the bottom of recess 46 under the axial pressure exerted on the valve by the fluid pressurized in compartments 34. Bearing 83 is retained by a ring 84, secured to housing part 3 by bolts 85. As an alternative, housing part 3' can be dispensed with valve disc 81 applied directly against part 4' and the ends of blades 27, in which case the inlet ports are formed by the ends of compartments 34. i

The check valves 36, 39, and 40 of FIG. 1, for the outlet ports of the pump, could be replaced by a valving Piston 64 is provided with a plurality of radially extending through bores 71 inclined with respect to the rotary axis of the piston and having their radially inner inlet end 72 opening with recess 70 and their radially outer outlet ends 73 opening directly at radial face 74 facing within cylindrical chamber 63.

The admission chamber 55 and cylindrical chamber 63 are initially filled with fluid, such as oil. Upon rotation of shaft 14, piston 64 simultaneously rotates and acts as a turbine wheel; the oil in bores 71 is submitted to centrifugal force, thereby increasing the pressure of the oil behind the piston within chamber 63. This increased pressure together with the axial reaction force developed by the fluid through bores 71 causes movement of the rotary piston 64 toward valve 47 against the action of coil spring 69. Thus, longitudinal movement of the piston relative to the shaft produces angular shifting of the valve 47 with respect to the shaft 14, and consequently, with respect to the dead center positions of the cam 21 within cylindrical chamber 13.

arrangement similar to the valving arrangement on the intake port side of the pump, but with the valve member on the outlet side shifted relative to the valve member 47 on the inlet side. This arrangement is very simple in the case of a constant flow pump in which the two valve members 47 are fast on the shaft 14.

The device of the invention as used as a hydraulic pump operates as follows:

Referring to FIG. 21, and supposing shaft 14 rotates in clockwise direction, it will be noted that sleeve '23, due to its eccentric movement, will cause progressive contracting of half the compartments which are on the upstream side of the longitudinal zone of the sleeve 23 which is radially outermost, and progressive simultaneous expansion of the remaining half of the compartments which are on the downstream side of said radially outermost sleeve zone.

Supposing the angular position of the valve member 47 is as shown in FIG. 22 with respect to the shaft 14 and the sleeve 23, as shown in full lines, the shaft rotating in anticlockwise direction, the surface 53 of the valve 47 closes all the compartments 34 in the process of contracting and, therefore, which are pumping the fluid past the check valves 39, while all the compartments which are in the process of expanding are open to the admission chamber 55 for receiving fluid. Thus, in this position the pump is working at full flow. However, if the valve is shifted through 180 with respect to the shaft 14, or, which amounts to the same thing, supposing the shaft is rotated through 180 while retaining the valve 47 in the same position, we obtain the position of the sleeve 23, as shown in dot-and-dash line at 23 relative to the valve 47. In this case, all the compartments which are expanding, the shaft again rotating in anticlockwise direction, are closed by surface 53 of the valve 47 while all the compartments which are contracting are open to the admission chamber. Thus, the pump has zero flow, the timing of the valve with respect to the cam having been shifted through 180 from full flow. If the valve is shifted through 90 from full flow, as shown in FIG. 21, fluid is prevented from being admitted during half the admission phase of the expanding compartments 34 and freely returns to the admission chamber 55 during half the explusion phase of the contracting compartments, resulting in a fraction of the full flow of the pump for a given speed of rotation of the shaft.

In the exmaple shown wherein there are six compartments in the process of admitting fluid and six compartments in the process of expulsing fluid at the same time, shifting of the valve 47 will result in six main rates of flow from zero to maximum of flow with intermediate rates for intermediate angular positions of the valve member 47.

The valve member 47 or 47 is angularly shifted with respect to the shaft by axial movement of piston 64, as previously described. Because this piston moves axially as a function of the speed of rotation of the shaft, as this speed of rotation increases, the pumping capacity of the pump will progressively increase from zero flow to full flow without naturally taking into account the increase in flow caused by the speed of rotation of shaft 14.

The range of speeds of rotation'of shaft 14 for which passage from zero to full flow is achieved, can be adjusted by controlling valve 78. The move this valve 78 is open the greater the speed of rotation of the shaft is needed to obtain full pumping capacity.

Obviously, the pump can be rotated in either direction due to its symmetrical construction.

One useful application of the pumping system just described is in a hydraulic transmission system for a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine. The engine would drive the shaft 14 of the pump and the output of the pump would be fed to a hydraulic motor for driving the wheels of the vehicle.

The device will not start to pump until the engine has attained a certain minimum speed, whereby the vehicle stays idler or stationary and then will progressively pump up to maximum flow capacity with increase of speed of the engine to thereby progressively start the vehicle. Thus, the device operates as a kind of a hydraulic clutch. The adjustment of valve 78 will regulate the clutching range of the system.

The pumping part of the invention is remarkably free of friction. It will be noted that the blades or partition members 27 have only a limited radial reciprocating movement and that their radially inner edges are in contact with sleeve 23. In practice, there is only a very slight reciprocating movement of the contacting surfaces of sleeve 23 with the blades 27. Moreover, in the separate a compartment under admission from a compartment under expulsion, are subjected to any torsional forces within their guiding slots 25.

lt will be noted that there is a large difference in volume of the compartments for a given eccentricity of the cam 22 between maximum and minimum volume of the compartment. Thus, the fluid handling capacity of the device is much larger than in conventional fluid handling devices of equal overall dimensions, such as gear pumps and vane pumps. Obviously, the device could be used as a constant flow pump or motor by permanenty securing the valve member 47 to the shaft, consequently eliminating the system for shifting the valve member of the shaft.

The centrifugally-operated rotary piston system can be used as a centrifugal governor for other applications than for a pump. It is a hydraulic system of simple construction and is much safer to use than mechanical type governors having centrifugal weights.

For instance, one could use piston 64 in an enclosed housing 2 for moving the axially displaceable pulley of a variable pitch pulley in a belt driving system. Obviously, piston 64 could control any system in accordance with the speed of rotation.

Due to the geometry of the pumping part of the device, it will be appreciated that a slight increase in the overall diameter of the chamber 13 results in a relatively large increase in the pumping capacity of the system without increasing the maximum inclination of the blades on the outer surface of the sleeve for certain positions of the sleeve 23 with respect to the blades.

The number of blades or partition members 27 can vary, but the smaller number of blades the lesser is the pumping capacity for a given size of pump. Thus, the pumping capacity increases with the number of blades up to a maximum which depends on the thickness required for the blades, for a given pumping pressure and overall diameter of the pumping chamber 13.

It will be noted that the pump can be used as a constant flow pump irrespective of the speed of rotation of the shaft 14, in which case the valve member 47 will be arranged to permit full pumping capacity at low speed and to gradually decrease the pumping capacity with increase of speed.

The pump of the invention can operate at zero flow for a very long time, because all the moving parts are properly lubricated by the hydraulic oil. In fact, the oil filling the admission chamber 55 will flow by gravity into the contracting compartments 34 during the time these compartments are open to the admission chamber.

Because the inlet and outlet ports of the fluid handling device are disposed at each end of the compartments, the oil flows substantially axially of the system, resulting in a minimum of turbulence. Also, at full pumping capacity, the oil has time to completely fill the compartments despite high speed of rotation of the shaft 14.

The device could be used as a constant pressure pump, in which case a manometer connected to the outlet piping of the pump, would control valve 78, to thereby decrease the pumping capacity as the pumping pressure increases.

The device can be used as a hydraulic motor when both inlet and outlet ports are associated with valve members 47 or 47', one shifted 180 relative to the other.

Cam 22 can be modified to produce more than one cycle of pumping operation per ,shaft revolution, in which case sleeve 23 has to be dispensed with and blades 27 made to directly contact the cam 22. in this case, the number and angular extent of recesses 54 of valve 47, or slots 82 of valve 47', will be modified accordingly.

I claim:

1. A rotary fluid handling device comprising a housing defining a cylindrical chamber, a shaft journalled in said housing coaxial with said chamber, a cam mounted on said shaft having a cylindrical outer surface eccentric to said shaft and located in said chamber for sweeping said chamber upon rotation of said shaft, said housing having a plurality of angularly spaced slots opening into said chamber at the cylindrical surface of the latter and extending in radial planes containing the axis of said shaft, a plurality of partition members slidably mounted in said slots, means to urge said partition members towards said cam, whereby said partition members divide said chamber into a plurality of compartments cyclically varying in volume, each compartment having an inlet port and an outlet port, said inlet ports opening exteriorly of said chamber at a surface of revolution of said housing which is coaxial with said shaft and are equally angularly spaced circumferentially of said housing surface of revolution, a valve member carried by said shaft for rotation therewith, and having a continuous surface of revolution extending through substantially half of a circle and co-acting with the surface of revolution of said housing to close the inlet ports of half of said compartments and to open the inlet ports of the remaining compartments at any given time, said valve member, when rotated by said shaft, successively closing a first series of inlet ports while successively opening a second series of inlet ports diametrically opposed to the first series of inlet ports, and check valve means for said outlet ports.

2. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing surface of revolution is cylindrical and faces radially inwardly and said valve member surface of revolution is half cylindrical and faces radially outwardly.

3. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least said inlet ports are located at one end of their associated compartments.

4. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the surface of revolution of said housing and the surface of revolution of said valve member are flat and in planes perpendicular to the shaft axis.

5. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outlet port check valve means include independent check valve means for each outlet port,

and means operated by said actuating member to turn said valve member on said shaft as a function of the longitudinal position of said actuating member on said shaft.

8. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 7, including further means to displace said actuating means longitudinally of said shaft as a function of the speed of rotation of said shaft.

9. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said displacing means include a rotary piston connected to said actuating member and rotating with said shaft, a cylinder having a closed end and coaxial with said piston and in which the latter is longitudinally movable, said piston having axially inclined bores opening at opposite faces of said piston and determining radially inner inlet ends and radially outer outlet ends with the radially outer outlet ends facing the closed end of said cylinder, a spring means'urging said piston into the direction of said closed end of said cylinder, means to admit fluid to the inlet ends of said through bores, whereby rotation of said piston causes the fluid to be subjected to centrifugal force in said through bores and to be discharged under increased pressure in said cylinder, the fluid in said cylinder under increased pressure exerting a force on said piston urging the same in a direction away from said cylinder closed end against the action of said spring.

it). A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 9, further including a fluid admission chamber in communication with those of said inlet ports opened by said valve members and also in communication with the ra dially inner inlet ends of the through bores of said piston, said cylinder forming an extension of said admission chamber.

ll. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim if), further including a fluid relief establishing communication between said cylinder and said admission chamber on both sides of said piston and a fluid flow regulating valve in said relief to adjust the pressure differential between said cylinder and. admission chamber and thus adjust the speed of shaft rotation necessary to cause displacement of said piston along said shaft against the action of said spring.

l= l= h 

1. A rotary fluid handling device comprising a housing defining a cylindrical chamber, a shaft journalled in said housing coaxial with said chamber, a cam mounted on said shaft having a cylindrical outer surface eccentric to said shaft and located in said chamber for sweeping said chamber upon rotation of said shaft, said housing having a plurality of angularly spaced slots opening into said chamber at the cylindrical surface of the latter and extending in radial planes containing the axis of said shaft, a plurality of partition members slidably mounted in said slots, means to urge said partition members towards said cam, whereby said partition members divide said chamber into a plurality of compartments cyclically varying in volume, each compartment having an inlet port and an outlet port, said inlet ports opening exteriorly of said chamber at a surface of revolution of said housing which is coaxial with said shaft and are equally angularly spaced circumferentially of said housing surface of revolution, a valve member carried by said shaft for rotation therewith, and having a continuous surface of revolution extending through substantially half of a circle and co-acting with the surface of revolution of said housing to close the inlet ports of half of said compartments and to open the inlet ports of the remaining compartments at any given time, said valve member, when rotated by said shaft, successively closing a first series of inlet ports while successively opening a second series of inlet ports diametrically opposed to the first series of inlet ports, and check valve means for said outlet ports.
 2. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing surface of revolution is cylindrical and faces radially inwardly and said valve member surface of revolution is half cylindrical and faces radially outwardly.
 3. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least said inlet ports are located at one end of their associated compartments.
 4. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the surface of revolution of said housing and the surface of revolution of said valve member are flat and in planes perpendicular to the shaft axis.
 5. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outlet port check valve means include independent check valve means for each outlet port, preventing flow of fluid back into the associated compartment.
 6. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 1, further including means to vary the angular position of said valve member on said shaft with respect to said cam, so as to retard or advance admission of fluid to said compartments.
 7. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said angular position varying means include an actuating member axially displaceable on said shaft and means operated by said actuating member to turn said valve member on said shaft as a function of the longitudinal position of said actuating member on said shaft.
 8. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 7, including further means to displace said actuating means longitudinally of said shaft as a function of the speed of rotation of said shaft.
 9. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said displacing means include a rotary piston connected to said actuating member and rotating with said shaft, a cylinder having a closed end and coaxial with said piston and in which the latter is longitudinally movable, said piston having axially inclined bores opening at opposite faces of said piston and determining radially inner inlet ends and radially outer outlet ends with the radially outer outlet ends facing the closed end of said cylinder, a spring means urging said piston into the direction of said closed end of said cylinder, means to admit fluid to the inlet ends of said through bores, whereby rotation of said piston causes the fluid to be subjected to centrifugal force in said through bores and to be discharged under increased pressure in said cylinder, the fluid in said cylinder under increased pressure exerting a force on said piston urging the same in a direction away from said cylinder closed end against the action of said spring.
 10. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 9, further including a fluid admission chamber in communication with those of said inlet ports opened by said valve members and also in communication with the radially inner inlet ends of the through bores of said piston, said cylinder forming an extension of said admission chamber.
 11. A rotary fluid handling device as claimed in claim 10, further including a fluid relief establishing communication between said cylinder and said admission chamber on both sides of said piston and a fluid flow regulating valve in said relief to adjust the pressure differential between said cylinder and admission chamber and thus adjust the speed of shaft rotation necessary to cause displacement of said piston along said shaft against the action of said spring. 